Methane emissions from the energy sector remained at near record levels in 2025, the International Energy Agency has concluded.

Tackling the emissions could make billions of cubic metres of gas available to international markets, a top priority as the war in the Middle East squeezes energy supplies, the IEA said in a report.

“With methane emissions from energy sector near record highs, tried-and-tested abatement measures could make 200bn cubic metres (bcm) of natural gas available annually,” the global methane tracker 2026 report said.

“If select countries with spare existing gas export capacity and importing countries were to implement readily accessible methane abatement measures across their gas systems, nearly 15 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas could very quickly be made available to markets.”

Over the longer term such measures “could deliver nearly 100bcm of gas to markets each year, while eliminating non-emergency gas flaring could unlock a further 100bcm”.

The report, based on data from satellites and measurement campaigns, presents emissions findings for 2025 and explores various abatement measures and associated costs.

In March, the Guardian reported on some of the world’s worst mega-leaks of the potent greenhouse gas in 2025. Satellite analysis by the Stop Methane Project at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) found that mega-leaks occurred around the world, but the top 25 list was dominated by facilities in Turkmenistan. The scale of methane leaks in the secretive and authoritarian state has previously been described as “mind-boggling”.

Super-polluting plumes were also seen in the US, the largest detected in 2025 occurring in Texas and leaking 5.5 tonnes of methane per hour, equivalent to running about a million fuel-guzzling four-wheel drives. Venezuela and Iran also had multiple mega-leaks from state-owned facilities.

The Stop Methane Project also analysed super-polluting plumes from landfill sites, where rotting organic waste can release huge volumes of methane when not well managed. The worst sites were across the world, from Turkey to Algeria and Malaysia to the US.

Turkmen officials claimed in October that methane mega-leaks had been reduced. “Management has placed this under special control, and leaks are being repaired locally within two to three days,” said Muhammetberdi Byashiev, the head of the environmental protection department at the state company Türkmengaz, citing collaboration with the UN, IEA and EU. However, the analysis showed that substantial mega-leaks continued.